i assured the president that if i am confirmed by the united states senate i will always do my best, i will always do my best for our nation, and for the men and women and their families who are called onto make the enormous sacrifices of military service. their safety, success and welfare will always be at the forefront of the decisions i make. i also assured the president that i would always provide him with my most honest and informed advice. i make that same commitment to this committee, and to the congress. if confirmed i will reach out to the members of this committee for advice and collaboration. it will be a partnership, because the national security challenges america faces require it. our nation's security is the highest priority of our leaders and our government. we can't let the great threats we face today to be held hostage to partisanship on either side of the aisle or differences in the articles represented in articles 1 and 2 of our constitution. the stakes are too high. men and women of all political philosophies and parties and ideas die and fight for our country. a